PSYC-115 FA5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Homo Sapiens, Dna Mismatch Repair, Gattaca
Psychology 115.001 Psychology as a Natural Science
319 Asbury 2-5 M&Th
No cumulative final :)
●January 16, 2018
Extra credit- write a short review on 2 of the 6 assigned books for 5 extra points each
Tests-short answer questions mostly
Lecture 1- Defining Science: “Pathways to Discovery”
-The basic premise underlying the inclusion of this course in such a capacity is that there are
commonalities among the sciences.
-The basic implication is that knowing any one science discipline is instructive to understanding
other.
-Science breakthroughs of the Year
1. Life at the atomic level(structural biology): (crio)electron-microscopy
2. A tiny detector for the shiest particles (physics): neutrinos; below atomic; when they
bump into a neutron they turn into a proton; almost never interact bc they’re too small;
this detector lets you see neutrinos so we can now see what actually makes up an atom
3. Deeper roots for Homo sapiens (evolution): found in Morocco; moved the dating of
homo sapiens 100,000 years back
4. Pinpoint gene editing (Genetics): Crisbar is a technique to break apart DNA; can take out
or create a mutation; it now doesn’t have to cut the DNA but it just gets in there and
substitutes a base pair (GATTACA) to correct genetic mutations
5. Biology preprints take off (Cellular Biology):
6. A cancer drug’s broad swipe (Immunology): all cancers have a mismatch repair
deficiency; now creating immune drugs that attack the mismatched DNA directly instead
of the organ that is infected with cancer
7. A new great ape species (Animal Behavior): a third species of orangutan
8. Earth’s atmosphere 2.7 MYA (Climatology): found ice 2.7 million years old; carbon
dioxide back then looked very diff than it does now; related to the ice age and it helps us
predict the next ice age and climate change
9. Gene therapy triumph (Genetics): muscular atrophy; attach treatment chemical to the
adenovirus so that it pulls it into the brain
10. Cosmic Convergence (Physics): detected gravitational waves; two neutron stars collided
in space and caused a spark, then a bigger, then a bigger with heavy metals; showed the
creation of metals; dark energy is created by the collision of neutron stars
-Subject Matter: on PPT- subject matter varies dramatically from one science field to another
-Level of Analysis: on PPT- also not the same for all sciences; it’s discipline specific
-Technique: on PPT-different techniques as well
-Approach: on PPT(science definitions slide)- all science fields have the same approach;
commonalities: study facts, knowledge, information, data; observe data
--All sciences approach: (1.work with natural phenomena, [careful and objective
description of natural phenomena; construction of models that organize these natural
phenomena] 2. Work and outcomes subject to falsifiability)
Friday January 19, 2017
Lecture 2- Defining Psychology: “Pathways to behavior”
(start on slide 18)
-natural phenomena:
●Careful and objective description of natural phenomena
●Construction of models that organize these natural phenomena
●Development of encompassing theories that unify and integrate the natural phenomena
under question (allows explanations and predictions)
●Induction is building up to a theory; once you have the theory you deduct down to a
prediction
-work (and outcomes) subject to falsifiability
●Generating hypothesis based on our models and theories
●Testing our hypothesis by careful experimentation
○Accept-consistent with model/theory (does not mean theory is true)
○Reject- falsifies model/theory
○Test must be subject to replication and evaluation
○Hypotheses are falsifiable, not verifiable
-What are the natural phenomena analyzed in Psych?
●Behavior- exam question
-What are the specific procedures …..
-Natural science and social science psychologists can look at and study the same phenomena just
from different angles.
-The natural science perspective in Psych has its focus based in the traditional life and physical
sciences. As such, the focus is on the environmental, biological, chemical, and genetic
underpinnings of the issues.
-This focus has long and deep roots, and where we are today makes sense in the context of this
history.
-While there are roots, note that its evolution is not a straight and sure line,..
-Historical roots:
Caveat: tenets-
● mind vs body(mind vs brain OR spirit/soul vs brain)
○Relative contribution to behavior
○Similarities and differences
●free will vs determinism
○Role of choice in behavior
○Role of natural laws
-History lesson:
●Philosophy (1500-1800): Body & Determinism; knowledge and animal/human behaviors
○Rene Descartes (1596-1650)- Rationalism
■Rationalism- a philosophical view that all knowledge is obtained through
human reasoning; world was a purely mechanical entity
■Argued that the world and a lot of human behavior is mechanistic
■Rejected animism-which was strongly circulating at the time
■Reflexes (animals and humans)- reflexes are mechanical
■Argued that humans have these reflexes as well as a
spirit/soul/consciousness, which animals do not have- pineal gland
■Introduced the concept of dualism (mind & body)
■Believed in mind & body and free will and determinism
○John Locke (1632-1704)- Empiricism
■All knowledge is obtained through observation and experience; mind
subject to natural laws/function of linkages of primary sensations
■Descartes didn’t mention natural laws at all; no rules for the mind
■Locke is saying there are natural laws and they govern your mind; the
mind controls behavior but is subject to natural laws
■Time period: Start of the royal society in england; lots of
experimentation(replace reason with experimentation)
■Believed in determinism, not free will
○James Mill ()-- Materialism
■Materialism- all knowledge (and reality) is obtained through an
understanding of the physical world; mind is matter (a machine)
■The mind emerges from the brain
■Thought, consciousness and feelings come from the mind
■Body and determinism
●Biology (1700-late 1800s): Mind/Body; nerves and brains and mental processes
○Galvani (1737-1798)- muscle movement and reflexes
○Muller (1801-1858)- specific nerve energies
○Flourens (1774-1867)-localization: movement, reaction times, the brain is
localized with function
○Broca (1824-1880)- Language: language is localized in the brain
Document Summary
Extra credit- write a short review on 2 of the 6 assigned books for 5 extra points each. The basic premise underlying the inclusion of this course in such a capacity is that there are commonalities among the sciences. The basic implication is that knowing any one science discipline is instructive to understanding other. Subject matter: on ppt- subject matter varies dramatically from one science field to another. Level of analysis: on ppt- also not the same for all sciences; it"s discipline specific. Approach: on ppt(science definitions slide)- all science fields have the same approach; commonalities: study facts, knowledge, information, data; observe data. -all sciences approach: (1. work with natural phenomena, [careful and objective description of natural phenomena; construction of models that organize these natural phenomena] 2. Lecture 2- defining psychology: pathways to behavior (start on slide 18) Careful and objective description of natural phenomena. Construction of models that organize these natural phenomena.